Chatsworth House Trust and Derbyshire County Council have launched a new pilot initiative offering members at ten local libraries the opportunity to borrow a Community Membership and visit Chatsworth for free.
The innovative new scheme will help bring new visitors to Chatsworth, while encouraging the use of local libraries and supporting literacy.
The pilot, which runs until 4 October 2026, will allow more Derbyshire residents and families to enjoy everything Chatsworth has to offer throughout the summer, with each pass offering seven days of free access to the house, garden, farmyard and adventure playground for up to two adults and six children. Free parking for one vehicle is also included.
Ten libraries across the county will each hold two passes for their members to borrow. These are:
Alfreton
Bakewell
Bolsover
Buxton
Chesterfield
Dronfield
Heanor
Ilkeston
Matlock
Swadlincote
The initiative has been launched to support the National Year of Reading, while also championing local libraries and the benefits of reading for pleasure.
Community Membership pass holders will be able to visit Chatsworth’s current exhibition, House of Stories: Tales from the Chatsworth Library, which brings together some of the most significant literary treasures from the Devonshire Collections, including rare editions and volumes from authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer, Jane Austen, and Oscar Wilde.
Visitors can also pause in the Alcove Room, where they are invited to rest and read, with a collection of books provided by Reading Well, The Reading Agency’s national initiative offering reading materials that support the management of mental health and wellbeing.
The scheme forms part of a year-long celebration of reading at Chatsworth, which will also include the return of The Queen’s Reading Room Festival in September, a two-day flagship literary festival organised by Chatsworth House Trust in partnership with Her Majesty Queen Camilla’s charity.
Chatsworth House Trust is a charity committed to sharing the house, collections, garden and parkland with as many people as possible. The Community Membership pilot scheme, in partnership with Derbyshire County Council libraries, supports this ambition by helping to reach new audiences and reduce barriers to visiting.
Jane Marriott, Director, Chatsworth House Trust said: “As a charity, our aim is to share Chatsworth with as many people as possible. The National Year of Reading and our longstanding partnership with Derbyshire County Council has unlocked a new opportunity, to pilot a free access scheme for Derbyshire residents and in doing so, support our local libraries and champion the value of reading for pleasure. We greatly look forward to welcoming our first Community Members and sharing all that Chatsworth has to offer this summer.”
Derbyshire County Council Leader Councillor Alan Graves said: “We are extremely proud to be working in partnership with Chatsworth House Trust on this innovative pilot programme which will benefit hundreds of Derbyshire residents of all ages who might not otherwise get the opportunity to enjoy all that Chatsworth has to offer.
“We are delighted that Chatsworth is as excited as we are to be promoting the National Year of Reading, the benefits of reading as a whole and the free gateway to books and information people can access all year round through our library service. Anyone who is a member of our library service is eligible to borrow the free access card and benefit from this pioneering and positive scheme.”
Passes can be borrowed for up to one week and must be returned to the same library they were borrowed from by the due date. Library members are encouraged to contact participating libraries in advance to check availability or ask to be added to the waiting list.
If someone is not already a library member, they simply need to take ID which includes proof of address to join the service for free. To join, you must live, work or study in Derbyshire.
More information can be found on the Derbyshire County Council website.
